What is Seasonaires®?
Seasonaires is a holiday company that grew to fill a need in the market place for a Complete Season on Snow experience geared towards riding. We have been organising seasons for clients/friends for the last 4 years and are now in the position to offer fantastic deals and prices to the public.

Can we contact you over the winter months ?
Over the winter months the directors are in resort ensuring that each seasonaire receives exactly what they have booked. Due to this when you call our office you will either receive an answer machine or call centre. Please leave details of your enquiry and your contact details and your call will be returned asap. Queries put through the website are answered within 12 hours.

What if I want to Work for the whole Season?
Seasonaires® is geared to providing a season that can be used as a base for either work or play, but based mainly on the riding. www.FreeRadicals.co.uk are a company specialising in working a season, with the emphasis on acquiring a Job.

Will my guide be qualified?
All Guides and Instructors will be fully qualified, either the French qualification or AASI / AAAP.

How much are phone cards + stamps?
FR-Stamps are 3F(30p) to send a letter home, it takes about 4 days for the person to receive it, and about 3-15 days if you are waiting for a letter. Phonecards are 50F from tabacs and gives you about 15 min. of calls.
US-stamps are 42cents and it takes about 6 days to send a letter home. It can take 4-20 days for a letter to arrive from Britain.
Phonecards are $5 and gives you 18 min. of calls.

Where can I post my mail?
FR- Little yellow post-boxes dotted around town(they look like British bins)
US- Main Post office(stop No 11) is the only place to post mail. There is no door delivery only PoBox Number. You will be given a PoBox to receive mail at.

How much are taxi's?
FR- Min charge is 30F for about 0.25 of a mile, very expensive. Almost anywhere in the same resort is within walking distance. Between Bourg and 1600 it is 200F(£20)
US- Min charge is very high, $40 for a 15 min ride

Is there a bus service?
FR- Yes, Free, It connects all the small surrounding villages and all of the arcs.
US- Yes, Free, There are 5 lines which connect together to enable you to get anywhere in Mammoth lakes.

Are there night-clubs, bars and any English pubs?
FR- About 8 clubs scattered between the resorts, bars are plentiful and English pubs in 1800.
US- 2 night-clubs, whiskey creek, Grumpy's sports bar, no English style pubs.

Are there many English people?
FR-Les Arcs is a very popular resort with the British pros and other seasoned riders due to its size.
US-Not that many Brits, but there is an abundance of Ozzies and South Africans.

Do I need to be able to speak French?
FR-No, As all the shopkeepers speak English. If you make an effort to speak French though you will receive better service.

Are Jobs easy to find?
If you would like to work a Full season, then Natives.co.uk have all the information and contacts you could ever need. If you just want bits to carry you through then read on.
FR- Yes and No, They are there but if you want a job you have to go looking for it.
US- NO, California being a border state with Mexico has very strict visa laws so cash in hand work is hard to find.

What's the minimum wage?
FR- 1600 FF per week
US- $4.50 phr

If we are a couple can we stay as a couple in the accommodation?
Yes, absolutely. The only time we mix different sexes in the same room is if you book as a couple or by special request. As a couple you will get your own bedroom.

Can my girlfriend/boyfriend/friend stay?
No, We will help you find an alternative lodging for them, but we have safety limits to stick to, so unfortunately(or fortunately!) there won't be 10 bodies sleeping on the living room floor. We recommend ChillChalet which is a B&B style Hostel, at £15 a night.

Are clothes cheaper than in Britain?
FR- Yes, you will save about 5-10% off most products.
US- Yes, way cheaper, a Burton jacket will set you back about £100!

Is petrol cheaper?
In Britain £28 out of every £31 you put in your car is Tax, so YES
FR- 6,90F a litre (69p)
US- 31c a litre (20p)

What if the people I am staying with are horrible?
Hopefully due to the fact that you all have come together because of a joint passion for the winter you will have things in common. One of the biggest bonuses about doing a season is meeting new people and making close friends. I am sure that in 3 months there will be some flare ups and clashes but its to be expected. Persistent troublemakers will not be tolerated and will be evicted from the property and have to fund their own accommodation.

Are there good snowboard shops there?
FR- Tip Top Board Shop, is owned and run by Alan with Seb and Zor. This is an excellent shop.
US- Wave Rave is owned and run by 2 times extreme champion Steve klussen, It is huge and has the biggest selection of just about everything.

Does the sun shine?
FR- There is plenty of sunshine in Les Arcs so bring your shorts.
US- Mammoth sun seems to be stronger than everywhere else's so don't forget the sunscreen.

When it snows can you still ride?
FR- There are loads of excellent low level tree runs that stay open through most white outs, snow storms.
US- When it storms in Mammoth it drops about a foot an hour, so often they shut all but the bunny slopes if it is a big storm.

Do they ever close the whole mountain?
If they were to do that they'd have to refund Lift Passes so there will always be a lift running.

What are the police like and the local laws?

Is there an Internet cafe and how much does it cost?
FR- Yes, newly built. No info on prices as yet
US- Yes, numerous. About $5 an hour

Is there anywhere to build kickers in the town?
FR- The town can be a lot of fun after the lifts have shut. When it snows lots we have built kickers to jib bins, little railslides to practice on and some people even jump cars!
US- Mammoth Lakes is nestled in the foothills so a 20 min hike any direction will take you to an okay spot. Or, you can climb onto the roof of a condo, construct a ramp down and then shape a quarter pipe, great fun.

Is there a skate park or pipe?
FR- Yes, there are 2 situated in Bourg. One is an outdoor park with rails, tabletop and 3 quarters. The other is a big indoor halfpipe with a small street section. It costs 20F to go and has a good mix between good riders and beginners. If you book early enough you might get a space in 'The Skate House' one of our chalets which has its own indoor Mini Ramp !.
US- No, there is no skate park.

Do they have many comps and can anyone enter?
FR- There are usually about 10 comps a year in Les Arcs, and about 4-6 of these allow anyone to enter. The Quick Cup and the University comp are held in Les Arcs.
US- About 10-15 comps a year, Gravity Games, Footloose series and the Jose Cuervo QuarterPipe. They all seem to have a Non-Pro section but the best ones for a laugh are the Footloose series.

How much is it to hire a car?
FR- Europcar charge 540F a day and you have to be over 21.
US- Budget Car charge $50 a day and you have to be over 21 and pay extra for mileage.

Do you organise the day trips or do we?
Your Host will be able to offer advice and their experience, and will gladly jointly organise trips for you. There are lots of cool trips, Val D'Isere, Tignes, Annecy, Las Vegas, Death Valley and LA. Your host will have details on all of these. All trips and excursions are at additional cost.

Do I get my money back if I break a leg?
Basically Yes, There are conditions to your insurance but they tend to be quite reasonable. (Full Insurance Summary). We use Seasonaires Insurance for our policies.

What are the parks like?
FR- Les Arcs is the home of the A-Team and they have someone who designs the park. They have been improving over the years, last year the area allocated for the 'Surf Park' doubled. The downside, the halfpipes tend to be more half squares!
US- The Unbound Terrain Parks are awesome! There is something for every level of rider. " superpipes (14 ft), 1 standard pipe. 3 Parks with a variety of boxes, step downs, spines and rails, ranging from 10ft to 70ft.

Are you allowed to go off piste, or will we lose our passes?
FR-They tend to be quite lax in Europe and as long as you aren't putting other peoples lives in danger then you should be fine.
US-If you cut ropes or ignore safety signs, then Yes. You WILL have your pass revoked and you WILL be arrested and charged. They are very strict on this but it is only for signs within Mammoth Mtns boundaries. If you hike off piste or decide to ride out of resort boundary's then that is National Park property and as long as you follow safety protocols you are allowed to ride.

Are the Local people nice or nasty?
FR-The French and the locals know that you, the tourist, are their source of income so they tend to be very hospitable.
US-Everyones experience is different, but I say that Americans are the nicest people in the world. They will go out of their way to help you.

Is there an attitude in the parks or on the mountain generally?
Attitude if any seems to be limited to the board parks. It is the same everywhere you go. There are safety protocols about dropping into the pipe and lining up for a jump. The problem is when a rider gets 'GOOD', they seem to think these rules don't apply to them and just snake in all over the place, because all the 'SHIT PEOPLE' take too long and fall over. EVERYONE was shit once.

Will the apartment be heated?
Yes, the apartments will be heated and this is already include in the price. No, the heaters will not be on all the time, it will be set on a thermostat and remain there.

Can we have party's?
Yes, But realise this. Each person will of put down a £150 refundable deposit for the condition of the property. If you damage anything, the carpets, seats windows then YOU will pay for it.

How cold does it get?
FR-It can get down to -21oC up on the mountain at 8am, but usually it is 0-1 Celsius at 8am.
US-This year it went as low as -19 Celsius, but most days it is about -1 to 1 Celsius at 8am, the wind chill can sometimes bring it down a bit.

Is the town in the path of Avalanches?
FR-NO
US-NO

Can I bring my car out?
FR-If you want to take your car you must let us know when you book and we can make special arrangements to get you discounted ferry crossings with P+O Stenna line. You will then have to cover your own petrol and road toll costs.
US-NO

Will there be allocated parking?
YES

Will my host speak French?
Yes, they will either be fluent or be able to correspond at a basic level to assist in explanations.

Is food expensive in the resort for lunches?
It can be, check out the budget section under each season and see what to expect.

What's the time difference?
FR-France is 1 hour ahead
US-California is 8 hours behind

Is there a Chinese restaurant?
FR-Yes, and they do take away
US-Yes, and take away.

Is there a cinema which shows English films?
FR-Yes, they tend to show a minimum of 1 a month, they also have cheap night 35F for the VO (voice original)
US-Yes, you will get to see films you didn't even know were made. Monday night is cheap night $3.

Can you rent videos?
FR-Yes, they have a few in English and it is 20F for 2 nights.
US-Yes, they have some cool films in and charge $5 for 5 videos for 5 nights.

Can you hire snowmobiles?
FR-Yes, Check out the Arc Adventures link in Les Arcs Further info
US-Yes

If I am travelling from outside the UK do I still get FREE travel ?
There are fixed travel routes that seasonaires staff will be assisting with, if you can rendezvous with these Luton, Heathrow or Waterloo Train Station then that would be the simplest as transfers when necessary are arranged. Otherwise we will pay £110 towards your travel costs.

Can I book on my own ?
Absolutely Yes, Don't be held back from living your dream. Everyone who travels with Seasonaires is there for one reason, TO RIDE.

Do most people book as a group or as individuals ?
The majority of people book as individuals or in pairs. If we get a large group (8+) we try to get them their own accommodation.

What are the dates for the season ?
The dates are Jan 9th - Apr 3rd, more detailed info can be found by clicking on the season you want, i.e. Les Arcs or Mammoth and then choosing the heading you want info on.

What is the Average age of a Seasonaire ?
Ranges from 17 to 52, with the average being in their 20's. Their is no norm, a season is for everyone.

Where is the accommodation in Les Arcs ?
The accommodation is actually in Bourg St Maurice, this is where all the supermarkets are and is at the base of the mountain. A plan of the property can be seen under Les Arcs, and then accommodation.

Can you do the whole season from Dec-May ?
 As the package we can only do a 3 month season. There is flexibility though in staying on for a few extra weeks or arriving early. All cases are dealt with individually. For more info please phone 01438-727421